Explosive-engine.



No. 757,62l2A FATBNTED ArR.19,19o4. f

11.11. PALMER BXPLosIvB ENGINE.

APPLIUATIOF FILED JAN. 12, 1903 .N0 MODEL.

T I ,13N/fe 7113074:

Patented April 19, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT R. PALMER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO'EDWINFOWLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ExPLoslvE-ENGINE.

sPEcIrrcnrIoN forming part of 4Letters Patent No. 757,632, dated April19, 1904.

Application led January 12, 1903. Serial No. 188.595. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT R. PALMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Explosive-Engines, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing.

The object of this invention is to provide an engine wherein the heat ofthe exploding gases is prevented from directly acting on thelubricating-oil, whereby it is possible to keep the explosive-chamber ata much higher temperature than otherwise, thus saving the heat and doingaway with the water-jacket and its attendant disadvantages. I accomplishthis by providing' on the head of the piston a cuplike'extensionwith itswall close to the wall of the cylinder, but out of contact therewith.The space between the wall of the cup and the wall of the cylinder is sosmall that the hot gases cannot work down between them to char the oil.At the same time the wall of the cup is kept out of contact with thecylinder, so that no lubricating-oil is required at this point and thelubricating-oil is confined to the surface of the piston proper at apoint where it is not heated suiiiciently to be charred. I have found byactual test that such a device is eminently practical and satisfactoryin operation.

I allow the explosion-chamber of my engine.

to attain such heat that it itself ignites the charge when it hasreached the proper point of compression without a sparking device.

The regulation of the compression causing the automatic explosion atjust the proper time is accomplished by increasing or decreasthangasolene, but contains more heat units, Y

yend into the cylinder and at its lower end has a crank-chamber in whichthe crank-shaft B is journaled. The piston is designated C. It has theusual packing-rings c and` is connected by the connecting-rod D with thecrank. The crank-shaft may have on one end the iiywheel E and on theother a pinion F, meshing with the gear G of twice the size, which gearcarries a pair of cams H H,which operate the valves. Such constructionis common in fourcycle engines.

YOn the upper end of the cylinder proper I providean extension formingthe explosionchamber A', and on the upper end-of the piston proper Ilikewise provide an extension or cup C. These extensions are secured totheir respective members, preferably with some heat-insulatingsubstance, as mica, between them. Theseheat-insulatos are shown at a andc', respectively. They are preferred, but are not necessary. In fact, ifdesired, the extensions A and C can be of the same integral castingswith the cylinder and piston, respectively. The external diameter of thepiston-cup C is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of thecylinder and its extension, so lthat notwithstanding the expansion dueto heat the piston extension does -not contact with the cylinder-wall,and therefore no lubricating-oil is necessary for it. The space betweenthe walls is smallenough so that the hot gases cannot follow the pistonwith such rapidity or in such quantity as to heat the lower portion of.the piston or the cylinder proper. I have found that a space betweenthe piston-cup and cylinder-wall of one-hundredth of an inch issatisfactory. This reduced diameter extends along the piston for such adistance that the lubricating-oil never reaches a point which isuncovered to the action of the hot gases. The oil is always protectedfrom contact with the hot gases. Now when the explosion takes placebetween the cylinder-head A2 and the piston the latter is drivendownward; but the wall of the cup C protects the cylinder from the heatof the gases. The radiation, without water-jacketing, keeps the cylinderproper at a temperature low enough so that the oil is not charred andkeeps the extension A at a low enough temperature to prevent thepremature expulsion4 of the hydrocarbon, though the temperature of thisextension is way above that of the cylinder proper. The explosivemixture enters through the passage c2 during the downward stroke of thepiston, 'but is compressed on the upward stroke to a point such that theheat of the extension A and the cylindercup C automaticallyV explodesthe mixture without a sparking device. The amount of this compression'is regulated by the addition or removal of plates Q2, secured withinthis cup C to reduce its capacity. The compression is such as to causethe expulsion at just the proper time as the piston is approaching theupper end of the cylinder. Then follows the propulsion-stroke andfinally the expulsion-stroke, when the burned gases are forced outthrough the' passage a2 into the exhaust-pipe K, the passage beingopened at this time by the valve J, which is raised by the exhaustcam-rod J and the cam H at the beginning of the expulsion stroke. Thismovement of the rod J also operates the small pump IJ, which forces acharge of petroleun through the pipe N into the bonnet P. This charge isdrawn through the pipe N from a pipe N2, through which petroleum iscontinuously circulated i' rom the tank N3 by a pump Q, continuouslyoperated by the main shaft B. The valves constituting parts of the pumpsQ and L are indicated as q and Z, respectively, in the piping. Asstated, during the expulsion of gases a new charge of liquid petroleumis formed by the pump L into the bonnet P. At the beginning of thereturn stroke the cam H acts to raise the rod S, thereby depressing andopening the airvalve S and also the admission-valve S2, directly beneathit and impinged by it. These valves are normally seated by theirsprings.

When the cam opens the two of them, the suction caused by the recedingpiston draws in the air and liquid hydrocarbon, which from the heat ofthe explosion-chamber is immediately vaporized, the mixture beingcompressed and exploded onthe return stroke.

The operation above described is in the normal running of the engine.For starting the engine I provide a small tank of gasolene and asparking circuit, which are used in the usual manner until the engine isunder way and the expulsion-chamber has become sufficiently heated.lDuring this preliminary operation the petroleum is shut off at the cockNi and it is idly circulated by the pump Q. The gasolene-tank isindicated at T, and it has a pipe T leading to the bonnet P and has acock T2, which is normally closed. `The sparking device, as shown,consists of a pair of' electrodes U, circuit-wires U leading therefromto the secondary U2 of an induction-coil. From the primary U3 of thiscoil the circuit leads through a battery U4 to a pair of contact-stripsU5, which are closed and released at the proper time, as by a fiber camH2, carried by the gear G. When the engine is under way, the opening ofthe switch U6 in the primary sparking circuit shows whether theexplosion-chamber is hot enough to cause the explosions. When it hasbecome hot enough, the cock T2 is closed and the cock N* openedand theengine thereafter operated automatically with petroleum.

The inside of the explosion-chamber will be very hot; but it isdesirable to prevent the conduction of heat to the outer surfaces of thewalls thereof. To effect this result, a

layer of non-heat-conducting material X is interposed between the insideof said chamber and the outer surface of its walls. In the constructionshown this non-conducting material fills a cylindrical recess formedwithin the walls of said chamber. When so placed, it performs itsfunctions and is entirely out of contact with the contents of saidchamber. The space within the upper end of the cup C is also hot, and inorder to prevent as far as' possible the conduction of said heat to thewall in the cylinder when the piston has moved down the cylindrical wallof this cup is made hollow and is filled with a non conducting materialX. In the preferred construction this cup is really made of two cups,the inner one having a iange which is secured upon the end of the outercup, and the inner cup is of less diameter and length than the outercup, This leaves a space in the cylindrical walls and in the end of saidcup which may be filled with non-conducting material, as stated.

I claim- 1. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a pistontherein, a cup with its IOO IOS

closed end secured to the explosion end of a cylinder, a piston therein,a cup with its closed end secured to theexplosion end of said piston,said cup being of less diameter than the bore of said cylinder, a liningof heat-insulating material within said cup, a protector for saidlining, and means for holding said protector Within said cup.

4. In an explosive-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therein,a cup With its closed end secured to the explosion end of said piston,said cup being of less diameter than the bore of said cylinder, a liningof heat-insulating material Within said cup, and a metal cup inside ofsaid liningv for protecting the same.

5. In an explosive-engine, in combination,

a cylinder, a piston therein, a cup with its closed end secured to theexplosion end of said piston, said cup being of less diameter thanA thebore of said cylinder, a lining of heat-insulating material Within saidcup, and a metal cup inside of said lining Jfor protecting the same,said last-mentioned cup having a flange resting upon the upper edge ofsaid other cup.

6. In an explosive-engine, in combination,

a cylinder, a piston therein, a cup With its closed end secured to theexplosion end of said piston, said cup being of less diameter than thebore of said cylinder, means Within vsaid cup for protecting it from theheat, and an,

insulating medium between said cup and the vexplosion end of saidpiston.

7. In anexplosiVe-engine, in combination, a cylinder, a piston therein,a eupwith its closed end secured to the explosion end of said piston,and means for increasing and decreasing the depth of said cup to Var)7the amount `compression in the cylinder.

y In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. HERBERT R. PALMER. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, N, L. BRESNAN.

